Mitsubishi heads to Pikes Peak with MiEV Evolution II

EV goes Evo for the Race to the Clouds.

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If it seems to you that Mitsubishi has dropped Evo for EV heritage to pursue electric vehicles instead, that's probably because it has. But why can't Mitsu have it both ways? Behold the Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution II.

Set to tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this weekend, the MiEV Evo II is powered by four electric motors driving 536 hp through Mitsu's Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. That's a marked improvement off the first-gen i-MiEV Evolution and its 322 hp. An advanced lithium-ion battery fuels the motors, increased from the road-going i-MiEV's 16 kWh and the i-MiEV Evolution's 35 kWh to a more substantial 50 kWh, while a robust yet lightweight water-cooling system keeps everything running at optimal temperature.

Its tube-frame chassis is cloaked in carbon-fiber bodywork, tested in both the wind tunnel and CAD software to optimize downforce without increasing drag, giving it four times the downforce of last year's car. So while the design has been geared towards acceleration and cornering grip, the MiEV Evolution II can still hit 140 mph flat out.

Mitsubishi is fielding two of these vehicles in the race at Pikes Peak this year: one to be piloted by two-time Dakar winner Hiroshi Masuoka and six-time Pikes Peak motorcycle champion Greg Tracy.